Middle school coach helps youngsters develop, and he's won championships in 3 sports

Christopher Foy is the football, boys basketball and boys track coach at Landmark Middle School. He and his teams are remarkably successful. In fact, he had to take the day off on signing day to be at all the signings of his players to big-time schools like FSU and West Virginia. On Thursday Feb. 7, 2013 Foy signals the defensive play as he coached his basketball team in their 51-47 win over DuPont Middle School in the Landmark gym in Jacksonville, FL. (The Florida Times-Union, Bob Mack)

Landmark Middle School football coach Christopher Foy took National Signing Day off. It was the only way he could get to all the college signing ceremonies of his former players.

“I felt a lot of pride,” the 40-year-old Foy said. “It was a great day going around to see the kids, their families and friends who helped them along the way.”

Six players played on the same Landmark Seahawks team five years ago. One, top national recruit DeMarcus Walker, signed with Florida State, while Sandalwood High School teammates Malik Greaves is headed to West Virginia and Donald Rocker to Western Kentucky. Jamari Smith of Fletcher High signed with South Carolina, Jaleel Green of Providence High will play for Wofford College and First Coast High’s Leander Palmer signed with Benedict College.

Walker is a bigtime player who was ranked as a four-star recruit by almost every recruiting service. Last year, he was profiled by Action News TV-47. “I could have brought them anywhere,” but took the cameras to Landmark, he said, where it all started for him. He returns to the campus whenever possible to work with Foy’s players.

Foy had more than 40 active college football players this past season and another 50 or so playing at high schools around town. He is a modern-day Gil Thorp, the mythical hero/coach who took his teams to countless three-sport championships in the comic strip that bore his name.

Foy wasn’t that familiar with Gil Thorp, but there are striking similarities. Foy also coaches basketball and track and field at the Kernan Boulevard school on Jacksonville’s Southside. Like at Thorp’s *****ord High, championships abound at Landmark.

Foy’s teams have won 25 middle school conference championships in the three sports. All the banners hang in the rafters of the Landmark gymnasium. There’s no room for more.

Middle schools usually aren’t spotlighted in sports pages, which focus on high school athletes and above. That’s one of the reasons you’re reading this in the Life section. But sports fan or not, you have to appreciate the numbers.

Oh, the numbers.

During his 11-year tenure as football coach, Foy’s Landmark team is 71-9. The Seahawks are currently riding a 51-game win streak. That’s 51-0.

They last lost in 2005.

Foy’s basketball teams have 106 wins against only 24 losses. His track and field teams — which will have 100 kids trying out this spring — sport a dual meet record of 68-1.

“Wow!” said The Bolles School’s Corky Rogers, the state’s all-time winningest high school football coach. “Middle school sports don’t get published much and there are probably a lot of coaches doing good jobs, but Coach Foy’s record is absolutely phenomenal. I’d love to come over to watch one of his practices or a game, but then folks would accuse me of [illegal] recruiting, so I’ll have to stay put. But put me down as being super impressed.”

Foy insists he doesn’t have any secrets or a system. He adapts his team, he says, to the talents of his players. He does, however, have an outstanding player development system.

“Look, we keep kids,” said Foy, who played football and wrestled at Jackson High and played center at Fayetteville (N.C.) State. “Sixth-graders aren’t allowed to play, but they can work out. We teach them about weightlifting, usually starting with the bar, and other techniques of various sports. At practice, I spend most of my time with the seventh-graders. Not too many of them become starters, maybe two or three, but by the time they’re eighth-graders they pretty much know what I want.”

None of Foy’s former players have reached the National Football League yet, but defensive end Rodney Gnat is captain of the Arena League’s Iowa Barnstormers. Jacksonville native Gnat, who played at Wolfson High and the University of Louisville, served as an assistant coach for Landmark’s undefeated 2012 football team.

“What Coach Foy does is make sure everyone understands their role and he expects everyone to fulfill that role,” Gnat said. “And when you have 11 guys on the football field doing what they’re supposed to be doing, anything is possible.”

The athletic teams also have strong support from parents. They maintain a Facebook page and are so into the sports programs that they tailgate — even for football tryouts.

Landmark is in Sandalwood High’s district, so Saints coach Adam Geis reaps between eight and 12 Seahawks per season.

Foy is immersed at Landmark, where he also teaches seventh-grade science. He is so immersed that he and his wife Wendy were married in the auditorium at Landmark 10 years ago. They are parents to a 6-year-old son.

Foy also opens the school every Saturday so neighborhood kids have a place to participate in sports on weekends. And, if that’s not enough, he holds sports camps each summer.

“He’s busy and absorbed with Landmark,” said Wendy Foy. “But he’s home a lot, too. It’s all worked out real well.”

The question begs why Foy, with his other-worldly resume, has not moved up to the high school level.

“I’ve always had a passion to be at this level — you get to raise them,” Foy said. “When they leave here, they’re ready, and I always implore them to keep the work ethic they learned here.

“But let me tell you, they had a roast for me not long ago and a lot of old players said their eighth-grade year was the best year of their lives. That made me sad because I want more for them. I want them to build on their experiences at Landmark. That could push me into looking into coaching at the next level.”

One of the great men Omega Psi Phi fraternity, inc... I had the pleasure to play with him and Jackson and Fayetteville State. Continue to live and lead by the cards! Mama and Papa Foy are smiling from heaven at the great things you are doing!

Foy is known. Great story! Too bad the school district is structured so that his players scatter freshman year. Sandalwood would have a couple state titles if they were allowed to have a real 7-12 program.

Thank you Greg for highlighting the works of a man who does not hesitate to go above and beyond. This is truly an excellent story about an excellent man whose sole purpose is to enhance the WHOLE child. That means in school, in community and AT HOME!! This man teaches children how to love, honor and RESPECT what they are doing. There is no salary for that!! This man is NOT just a COACH-He is more than that. He is all that a young man needs in his life-------AN EXAMPLE.

I PRAY he continues in setting the example and gets an opportunity to offer this type of teaching on a HIGHER LEVEL.